Excerpt
"From the military school (Kriegsschule) of life. - What does not kill me makes me stronger.
(Aus der Kriegsschule des Lebens. — Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker).
[Translator note. This maxim (#8) is one of the most famous quotes from Nietzsche. See the concept Kriegsschule’ in Nietzsche’s notebook of Spring 1888 18 [1]. A slightly different versions of this section is in one of the Nietzsche’s notebook and has this version of the maxim #8: “What does not kill us — that bring us to that makes us stronger. Il faut le tuer Wagnerisme.” English translation from French of the last sentence might be: “He must be killed, Wagnerism”. Spring 1888 15 [118]. Complete text in German and French for the other version: [“Was uns nicht umbringt — das bringen wir um, das macht uns stärker. Il faut tuer le Wagnerisme”]. Notebook: Spring 1888 15 [118].
From the Preface:
"This essay - the title betrays it - is above all a recreation, a spot of sunshine, a leap sideways into the idleness of a psychologist. Perhaps a new war? And are new idols sounded out?... This little essay is a great declaration of war (grosse Kriegserklärung), and regarding the sounding out of idols, it is time not just idols, but eternal idols, which are here touched with a hammer as with a tuning fork - there are altogether no older, no convincing lower, no puffed-up (aufgeblaseneren) idols... Also, no more hollow... That does not mean they are the most believed, also said to be especially the case in chief, not quite idol...". page 4.